Butterflies
by potterwriter340237
Summary: This particular argument started with heated words and low blows, and instead of ending like they usually did with rough kisses and passionate apologies Zoe had walked out, Wade had slammed the door and that had been it.


_**New Story! This is AU, occurs during Zoe and Wade's monogamous but casual phase. Let me know what you think!**_

* * *

Just like she predicted (feared) it was over before it really began.

They were two different, like oil and water. And sex (even really good, out of this world sex) couldn't overcome that.

Zoe was constantly racked by worries over Wade's ever present charm, and that one day he'd get bored with her and go back to his lothario life style.

He always managed to bring her past feelings about George into the arguments. Hinting that she wasn't the only one feeling insecure.

This particular argument started with heated words and low blows, and instead of ending like they usually did with rough kisses and passionate apologies Zoe had walked out, Wade had slammed the door and that had been it.

Maybe it was because they never really set any rules down, never truly defined what they were past casually monogamous, maybe that's why they ran into trouble.

That had been two months ago, and Zoe was starting to see Bluebell lose its charm. Wade always seemed to magically disappear whenever she would walk into Lavon's or the Rammer Jammer, if she wasn't so insulted by it she might have been impressed.

Lavon encourages her to just talk to him, sort things out and for once in their God forsaken lives actually be honest with each other. Zoe decides though its good advice, it doesn't really fit with her and Wade. Plus he was making no attempts to reconcile, why should she? Clearly she had been right when she only thought Wade wanted her because he couldn't get her.

So when George shyly proposes a dinner date in Mobile she accepts. Part of her vindictive because she knows Wade would hate it, the other half extremely,extremely guilty because she knows he would hate it.

Zoe tentatively let's it slip to Lavon, seeking his opinion, he only shakes his head and shrugs his big shoulders, "Seems it had to happen eventually. Maybe you'll see you were wasting your time chasing after George Tucker or maybe you'll realize you were right all along, not my business. But you should still talk to Wade."

She doesn't.

George is the perfect gentle men, picking her up on time (she only looks for a second to see if Wade is home. He's not), makes polite conversation and charming jokes, pulls out her chair and orders a lovely bottle of house wine at the even lovelier restaurant. Zoe doesn't feel like she use too, giddy and excited, there's no spark. But its George and it all makes sense. They make sense, they have so much in common and he's exactly the sort of man she could even see herself marrying.

Its halfway through a conversation about Central Park in New York (she doesn't miss it like she use too) when she gets a phone call from her mom.

She ignores the next two as well but picks up the forth, spewing apologies to George (who is of course infallibly polite about it).

"Zoe! Why didn't you tell me you were in the John Hopkins Alumni Magazine!?"

Oh God, Zoe in her whirlwind casual monogamy with Wade plus Bluebell's general ability to make you feel like you were in a black hole, it had completely slipped her mind.

"Mom, I can explain, it all started with a armadillo named Randy or well-"

She stops herself realizing that's probably a horrible place to start.

"What are you yapping about. Armadillos, listen- 'Dr Zoe Hart has definitely not retired, simply moved down to the sticks of Alabama and is changing the south. Delivering a baby with complications at an engagement party with no previous preparation, aiding in a life-saving surgery with the man stuck under a tractor while recovering from a snake bite and performing a double bypass heart surgery are only a few of the many things Zoe Hart has accomplished in her stint as a GP. On top of her busy practice and life saving moments Dr Hart is actively engaged in town life organizing parties at the Mayor's house and the first now annual Bluebell music festival (Bluebell-palooza for anyone that is interested!)' Oh Zoe it just goes on from there! It's all my friends can talk about! Even your father has seen it! I-"

But Zoe had stopped listening. What on earth? How did this even happen.

She had given the magazine a half second thought, dreading when the piece would come out but this was far better than expected.

"Mom, can you send me it?"

Her mom agrees immediately and Zoe pretty much hangs up on her in her haste to see the article.

She hastily reads the rest of it, and feels her heart stop when she gets to the last line.

Her hands are shaking so badly she can barely hold her phone and then she clued into the fact that she was still standing in the restaurant bathroom and George was sitting waiting for her.

"Oh god. Oh god, what am I doing."

Wetting her hands she places them on the back of her neck and takes a deep breath.

As she shakily makes her way back to her seat George looks up and gives her a wide grin, "Thought you might have run out on me."

Zoe lets out a strangled laugh and he gives her a strange look, and she knows that she can't fake her way through dinner, they haven't even ordered yet.

"George, I'm sorry but I can't stay for dinner."

"Is everything okay with your mom?" He looks panicked, and sweet and he's so George, but he's not what she wants anymore, she's pretty sure he was never what she wanted, not really.

"Yes, she's fine. I'm sorry, I should never agreed to go to dinner with you."

George's face drops a bit and Zoe feels so guilty, she is a terrible terrible person.

"I was seeing Wade."

"So it wasn't just the one time?"

"No it wasn't, God George I'm so sorry, I just liked you so much I thought that this was the right thing to do and I can't apologize enough."

"Wade's going to break your heart Zoe, and I'm not saying this to convince you to date me or anything, but I know him, I've grown up with him and as charming as he is, he's never been one to stay with a girl for long. He's _Wade Kinsella_."

She takes her time to think of something to say, nods her head once in understanding, but she's pretty sure, almost damn certain that people have been underestimating Wade his entire life.

"Well he wasn't with me before."

George raises a skeptical eyebrow but nods regardless, "Let me drive you home Zoe."

"I'm sorry."

"Its okay, well I mean it sucks, completely sucks, but I understand."

"You do?"

"Well its Wade but to each their own."

"Thank you George."

He pulls out her chair for her, opens the car door for her and is the ever always gentleman. But instead of this giving her butterflies she misses crude jokes, lazy southern drawl and cocky winks.

For some reason she's dangerously close to tears, she's a terrible person messing with both George and Wade's feelings because she can't figure her shit out. But for the first time in probably her whole life, she knows that this is the right choice. One that she should have made after the Armadillo hunt, or maybe even on her first heat wave.

George pulls up into the plantation and drops her off at the carriage house with wishes of Good nights and Good luck. She has a feeling she won't be seeing him for a while.

She feels as if there's frogs jumping in her stomach the size of Burt Reynolds as she makes her way over to Wade's house, she can hear country music softly playing and his lights are casting a warm glow over the yard.

She walks in without knocking and he looks up from his spot on the sofa, guitar in its usual place, he doesn't look happy or displeased to see her. And that makes her more nervous.

"What?"

"I uh-"

"Spit it out Zoe I don't got all night."

"Plans to play video games you can't miss?"

He shoots her a dirty look at this comment and she hates her self for being petty and immature. Besides this is what got them into this situation in the first place.

"I had a date with George tonight." She admits, because lying is the last thing that will fix this and Lavon was right, Wade deserves to know.

He gives her a look and she can tell he's debating what to say, he settles for a simple sullen, "I know."

Oh.

"Right so-"

"Zoe, I don't need an explanation or any apologies. You're with Golden Boy now, can't say I'm surprised."

"No Wade that's not what I came to say."

Wade looks at her, really looks at her and he looks tired and hurt and she just wants to move his guitar and crawl into his lap.

Zoe takes a step forward trying to gather her thoughts, to just try and explain how she's feeling even though there's about 800 different emotions swirling around her, so she settles on the strongest.

"My mom sent the article about me, the one written by the writer from New York? Where I very inaccurately diagnosed Tom?"

"Okay?"

"You were one of his sources."

There's a beat of silence, and Wade looks seriously uncomfortable.

"Well he asked around about you, which makes sense."

"You were his only source, you were quoted in the article."

"Huh."

"You told him about all the different things I've done, you basically saved my reputation."

"It doesn't matter."

"It does though! Especially because you said it wasn't important, that it was silly I was dwelling on it. But you did it anyway and you didn't have too."

Wade rubs a tired hand over his face and stands, and gives her this long searching look, "Well it was important to you, so..."

He shrugs and throws up his hands as if the act was meaningless.

"Why are you so opposed to people thinking you're a good person?"

"Zoe, I don't wanna play Dr Phil right now. So is that all you had to say? Don't wanna keep George waiting."

"I didn't even finish dinner with George."

He flinches and covers it up with hand through his hair, "Couldn't keep your hands off each other I see."

She's trying to stay calm, but he's doing what he always does, digging and deflecting and this is important, he has to know how she feels.

"No. I realized I shouldn't be out for dinner with someone when I liked someone else." Zoe finishes, rather breathless and terrified, standing here feeling more vulnerable than she ever has in her life.

Wade freezes and he's gaping at her slightly so she decides to speak again.

"I don't like George. I use too, ages ago, before you and I started, and I agreed to go out with him tonight because it made sense. Me and George make sense together, but tonight I felt absolutely nothing for him besides friendship. And that compares to nothing for what I feel about you. I like you Wade, I really, _really_ like you. And I am so, so sorry I ever made you think or feel like I didn't. I'm so stupid and thoughtless and selfish-"

She couldn't continue because Wade stepped forward suddenly and kissed her hard on the mouth. She lets out a slight noise in surprise that was quickly silenced by his mouth and once regaining her footing returned the kiss just as enthusiastically.

"Wade we should talk-"

"No." He says and she laughs as he kisses down her neck and tugging at the hem of her dress as he moves them towards the bed.

"_Wade_."

"Damnit Zoe its been two months." He grumbles and continues to kiss her.

"But Wade-"

"We are together." He says in between kisses, "Officially."

"Oh."

He's moving her dress off of her and her hair tumbles out of the lose bun it was in for her date.

"And I really like you as well, Zoe."

"Good, cause you make me happy."

He grins, that church social smile. Her stomach erupts into butterflies and her heart speeds up.

"Well good. Now, no more talking."


End file.
